Don Finley: Stay cool

The Metropolitan Health District issued a heat alert Wednesday, urging people to use caution outdoors.

To avoid problems, it helps to know how the body responds to heat, said Dr. Bryan Alsip, assistant director of the Metropolitan Health District.

“The effects are cumulative,” Alsip said. “Say you have two or three days of high heat and your exposure is the same each day, your risks of getting ill are much higher on that third day than on Day 1. That’s because we tend to continue to lose fluids at the same rate (and) we also don’t often do what we should in terms of increasing our rate of hydration.”

Those at highest risk are the elderly, young children and those taking certain kinds of medicines that interfere with the body’s response to heat.

“With the elderly, their (internal) thermostats are perhaps not as functional. They don’t tend to recognize the symptoms associated with heat exhaustion or heat stroke as early as they might. Therefore they’re subject to being exposed to higher temperatures longer than their early warning system might give them.”

Kids age 4 and younger are at risk because they often have a higher percentage of their skin exposed relative to their body size, Alsip said.

Sweat is the body’s main line of defense against the heat, but i’s the evaporative effect rather than the sweat itself cooling the body. “If you’re just dripping sweat and you don’t have a fan blowing on you or you don’t have something to evaporate it, its not going to cool you down,” he said.

Even if sweat is doing it’s job and you feel comfortable in the heat, “you need to drink more fluids rather than less,” Alsip said. “It’s not that you’re immune to the heat, it’s that your body is dealing with it more effectively.”

Here are more tips from Metro Health, taken verbatim from Wednesday’s heat alert:

Drink non-alcoholic and caffeine-free liquids, such as water and juices.

Be aware of those at high risk, such as the elderly, infants and children up to 4 years of age, someone who is overweight or someone on medication. Rest frequently in a shady area.

Do not leave infants, children, the elderly or pets unattended in a parked car (even if the windows are down or the air conditioning is on) or other hot environment.

Plan to exercise and do other strenuous activities early or late in the day when it is cooler.

Use an umbrella, hat or sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun and wear loose-fitting and light clothing to help heat escape away from your body.

Ask your physician whether you are at particular risk because of medication.

Remember to leave fresh water in the bowl for pets kept outdoors and provide as much shade as possible.

If you feel any symptoms of heat illness such as dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps or headache, immediately stop all activity and move to a cooler area to rest and drink fluids. Medical attention should be sought if symptoms do not improve.

During the hot summer days, the Hot Weather Health Watch (Level I) will not be deactivated. Metro Health encourages the public to check with the National Weather Service for the most current weather conditions.